Timberwolves-Hawks Preview

Posted Feb 01 2014 2:21AM

With a rotation that's light on star power but heavy on balance, the Atlanta Hawks are rolling offensively.

The suddenly high-scoring Hawks look for a fifth win in seven games Saturday night when they host a Minnesota Timberwolves team that's seen a recent dip in its offensive production - and may be dealing with a hobbled Kevin Love.

Atlanta comes into the game averaging 109.7 points over its last seven contests, 8.3 more than it scored per game in its first 38.

Paul Millsap has led the way with 20.0 points per game over the Hawks' 4-2 stretch, but their depth has become critical with Al Horford done for the season and Jeff Teague struggling recently with a sprained left ankle. Atlanta (24-21) shot 50.6 percent in Friday's 125-99 rout of Philadelphia and put seven players in double figures, led by 18 apiece from reserves Mike Scott and Elton Brand.

"Guys have to be ready," said Brand, who added eight rebounds. "You never know when your name is going to be called."

Minnesota (23-23) had won five of six before falling 94-90 to Memphis on Friday, the third straight game the Timberwolves - who are fourth in the NBA with 105.8 points per contest - had been held to 95 or fewer.

Twelve first-half turnovers were a big reason Minnesota put up a season-low 37 points in the opening 24 minutes.

"We are disappointed, you know," guard J.J. Barea told the team's official website. "It's a loss, so we're disappointed. It doesn't matter that we finished (strong), it's still a loss. We've got to come out (against Atlanta) and go from the get-go."

That'll be easier said than done if Love is hurting. Love rolled his ankle in the second quarter against Memphis and played the second half despite limping around, telling reporters after the game that he was in considerable pain.

"When I was moving it felt fine and I continued to keep it moving," said the All-Star starter, who had 18 of his 28 points in the third quarter. "But right now it doesn't feel so good. We just need to do all we can before (Saturday) night and hopefully be ready to go."

The Grizzlies scored 56 points in the paint Friday, taking advantage of the Timberwolves' second straight game without Nikola Pekovic (right ankle bursitis). The Hawks figure to pick up right where Memphis left off after averaging 50.0 points in the lane over their last seven.

While Minnesota is struggling without its starting center, it's having trouble sometimes even justifying playing its starting point guard late in games. Rick Adelman benched Ricky Rubio in the fourth quarter Friday in favor of Barea, who had eight points and two assists in the final 12 minutes and, according to his coach, was "the best option for us to win."

"It's coach's decision and I respect it. He always does what he thinks is best for the team" Rubio said. "Of course I wish I could play, but I respect my teammates and my coaches and what he decides."

Barea had 14 points and seven assists in 23 minutes off the bench in place of Rubio when these teams last met, but it didn't help Minnesota end Atlanta's dominance in the series. The Hawks rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit at home to beat the Love-less Timberwolves 104-96 on Jan. 21, 2013 - their 10th straight home win in the series.

Atlanta has won 12 of the last 13 meetings overall. Love missed both meetings last season, including a Pekovic-led home victory.

The Hawks are the only team Love has never beaten in his six-year career.

Copyright 2014 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Korver leads Hawks past Love, Timberwolves 120-113

By CHARLES ODUMPosted Feb 01 2014 11:15PM

The response from Korver and the Hawks, especially in the third quarter, earned postgame praise from the first-year coach.

Korver scored 24 points, including a trio of 3-pointers in a third-quarter stretch that gave Atlanta the lead, and the Hawks overcame Kevin Love's 43 points to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-113 on Saturday night.

Korver hit each of his four shots and had 12 points in the third, when the Hawks outscored the Timberwolves 38-21.

"I thought the guys responded," Korver said. "Obviously, it was a great third quarter for us. Hopefully he doesn't have to talk to us like that all the time. It worked tonight."

Budenholzer said defense sparked Atlanta's comeback from an 11-point deficit in the second period.

"I think the third quarter tonight was something we can reference going forward on how we want to play, particularly defensively, to hold them to 21 points in a quarter with the way they can score," Budenholzer said.

Budenholzer said guard DeMarre Carroll, who had 19 points, "set a defensive tone for us and I think everybody else follows that."

Paul Millsap, guarded by Love much of the night in a matchup of All-Stars, had 20 points and 13 rebounds before fouling out late in the game.

Even with the dominant third quarter, the Hawks had to hold on late.

A jam by Minnesota's Corey Brewer with 2:55 remaining cut Atlanta's lead to 107-104. Jeff Teague, who had 19 points, drove for a layup and Carroll's free throws pushed the lead to seven points.

Love's 3-pointer again trimmed the margin to three before Atlanta's Gustavo Ayon banked in an unlikely scoop shot to thwart the comeback attempt.

Love, who grabbed 19 rebounds while playing with a sore left ankle, had 21 points in the final period and finished two points shy of his season high.

"I didn't even know I had (43) to be honest," Love said. "I think (Kevin Martin) told me after the game. I was just trying to get us back in the game by any means. My teammates set me up with a lot of good shots but, yeah, a loss right now, it's just tough."

Love said the Timberwolves missed center Nikola Pekovic, who sat out his third straight game with bursitis in his right ankle. Pekovic could have been especially important against the undersized Hawks.

"To not have Peck in a game like this, really the last (three) games, it's really tough, just because he takes up so much space," Love said. "You're having to make up for 20 points and 10 rebounds."

Martin had 17 points for the Timberwolves (23-24), who fell under .500 with their second straight loss.

Korver, guarded closely by Brewer much of the game, missed his only 3-point attempt in the first half. Korver finally broke free to sink his first 3 with 7:32 remaining in the third quarter for a 60-all tie, extending his NBA record to 115 consecutive games with a 3.

Korver added another 3-pointer about a minute later and sank his third with 4:20 remaining in the quarter, giving Atlanta a 73-62 lead.

"Once he got one, it's tough," Brewer said. "I tried to chase him and make it tough on him all night. ... But he's a great shooter. He has the record for a reason."

Minnesota opened the final period with quick 3s by J.J. Barea and Alexey Shved to trim Atlanta's lead to 86-81.

Barea was ejected with 6:43 remaining. He was called for a technical foul on Minnesota's end of the court and argued his case at the other end, stepping inside the 3-point arc before finally being tossed as Korver was setting up for a free throw.

NOTES: Millsap fouled out with 4:19 remaining. ... Ricky Rubio had 11 assists for Minnesota. ... The Hawks signed F Cartier Martin to a 10-day contract and he was active to start his second stint with the team. He appeared in 25 games with the Hawks before he was waived on Jan. 7 and then signed two 10-day contracts with the Bulls. ... The Hawks played their first home game since Wednesday night's game against Detroit was postponed until April 8 due to the winter storm that paralyzed the city.

Copyright 2014 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Notebook: Hawks 120, Timberwolves 113

THE FACT: Kyle Korver scored 12 of his team-high 24 points in the third quarter as the Hawks outscored Minnesota by 17 points in the period to turn around the game for good on the way to a 120-113 win over the visiting Timberwolves.

THE LEAD: Up until a few moments before halftime, the T-Wolves looked like they might snap their 10-game losing streak in Atlanta as Kevin Love already had 15 of his 43 points and 12 of his 19 rebounds and Minnesota led 54-43 on a Kevin Martin dunk with 57 seconds left in the second quarter.

Then, the Hawks (25-21) scored the final five points of the half and scored almost at will thereafter as their 72-point second half turned the game around. Atlanta outscored the Timberwolves 38-21 in the third period.

Atlanta managed 43 points in the game's first 23 minutes.

Some Atlanta players said head coach Mike Budenholzer was hot in addressing his team at halftime, and the Hawks were smoking over most of the final 24 minutes as Korver hit all four of his 3-point tries after intermission and he and point guard Jeff Teague scored 17 points each in the half.

That staked the Hawks to their 11th straight home win over the T-Wolves, although Minnesota (23-24) was within one possession twice inside the game's final three minutes.

The Hawks were 2-for-11 from beyond the arc in the first half, and 7-for-12 in the second.

Paul Millsap had 20 points and 13 rebounds for Atlanta before fouling out in the fourth quarter, and Teague and DeMarre Carroll scored 19 each for the Hawks. Martin scored 17 for Minnesota, and J.J. Barea had 12 off the bench before being ejected midway through the fourth quarter for arguing with officials.

QUOTABLE: "Coach laid into us at halftime, he really did. Hopefully, he doesn't have to talk to us like that all the time. It worked tonight."-- Korver

THE STAT: 17-0 -- The Hawks outscored the Timberwolves 17-0 off turnovers in the third quarter, when Minnesota suffered eight of its 17 total miscues to Atlanta's two [of 13].

TURNING POINT: The Hawks closed the first half with a 5-0 run in the final minute -- keyed by Korver's three free throws after Corey Brewer committed an ill-advised foul on a shot from just inside half court with less then one second remaining -- and began the third quarter on a 17-6 run for a 65-60 lead on Korver's trey with 6:28 in the period.

QUOTABLE II: "[Giving up] 72 points [in a half] is not going to do it. The first five minutes of the [third quarter] set the tone for the whole half . . . I think Corey got a little too aggressive . . . [Korver's] shooting a prayer. You just have to let it go. If he makes it, he makes it."-- Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman

NOT: Rookie Alexy Shved shot 3-for-9 and has gone 8-for-23 over his past five games off the Minnesota bench.

QUOTABLE III: "I didn't care about the record; I was trying to keep him from making even one because once he makes one, you saw what can happen."-- Brewer, one of the NBA's most respected perimeter defenders, on marking Korver

NOTABLE: Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic missed his third straight game with bursitis in his right ankle. . . . Millsap, who has been named to his first All-Star game, had three steals and has at least one theft in a career-best 18 consecutive games. . . . Korver has made at least one 3-point shot in an NBA-record 115 straight contests. . . . Atlanta had 12 steals, and has had 10 or more in five of the past six. . . . Generally, the East has not fared well against the West this season, but the Hawks are now 7-3 against Western Conference teams. . . . The Hawks signed forward Cartier Martin, who began the season with the team, to a 10-day contract. He previously signed two 10-day contracts with the Bulls.